JP5221386B2 - Spacers for battery pack manufacturing - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a spacer for manufacturing a battery pack, in particular, a spacer for manufacturing a battery pack using a cylindrical battery as a unit cell, the spacer being assembled in the form of a rectangular frame, The spacers are provided on opposite side surfaces (opposing surfaces) of a rectangular frame including a plurality of battery receiving members having a circumferential type inner surface structure that partially covers an outer surface of a cylindrical battery, The battery receiving member has a horizontal through hole extending between the opposing side surfaces of the frame, and the pair of battery receiving members (unit receiving members) formed on the opposing side surfaces of the frame are easily cut. Can be connected to other adjacent unit receiving members via structures that can On the spacer and said Rukoto.

  As mobile devices have developed further and the demand for such mobile devices has increased, the demand for secondary batteries has also increased rapidly as an energy source for mobile devices. In particular, a lot of research has been conducted on lithium secondary batteries with high energy density and high discharge voltage, which are currently used commercially and widely.

  Depending on the type of external device in which the secondary battery is used, the secondary battery can be used in the form of a single battery or a battery pack having a plurality of unit cells electrically connected to each other. For example, a small-sized device such as a mobile phone can be operated for a predetermined time determined in advance by the output and capacity of one battery. On the other hand, the battery pack needs to be used in media equipment or large equipment such as laptop computers, electric vehicles, and hybrid electric vehicles. This is because media devices or large devices require high output and large capacity.

  The battery pack has a battery structure in which a plurality of unit cells are electrically connected in series and / or in parallel. It is very important for the battery pack to maintain a stable arrangement of unit cells so that the unit cells can be connected continuously to each other.

  In particular, a cylindrical secondary battery used as a unit cell of a battery pack has a great difficulty in maintaining the arrangement structure due to the characteristics that appear. For this reason, it is necessary to use an additional fixing member for the cylindrical secondary battery. For example, in order to maintain the arrangement structure of the cylindrical secondary batteries, the cylindrical secondary batteries are arranged, and the cylindrical secondary battery is fixed by a fixing tape, or the cylindrical secondary battery is made of plastic. The method of coating is usually used. Depending on the situation, a double-sided adhesive tape can be added between the unit cells to further increase the bonding force between the unit cells.

  However, the force of the fixing tape and the plastic coating is small, so the possibility of damage or destruction of the fixing tape and plastic coating is very high. Therefore, the fixing tape and the plastic coating are not suitable for stably maintaining the arrangement structure of the unit cells. In addition, if the battery pack is assembled using a fixed tape or double-sided adhesive tape, the removal and installation process of the fixed tape or double-sided adhesive tape is complex and cumbersome, which increases the time required to assemble the battery pack .

  Furthermore, the battery pack is required to have various outputs and capacities by adjusting the number of unit cells connected to each other according to the use of the device in which the battery pack is used. However, a cylindrical unit cell requires a fixing member for maintaining the arrangement structure of the cylindrical unit cells. Therefore, when assembling a battery pack with cylindrical unit cells, there is a problem that various types of fixing members must be manufactured according to the number of unit cells to be assembled. In order to solve this problem, the unit fixing member can be manufactured such that one or more unit cells can be attached to the unit fixing member, and a plurality of unit fixing members can be connected to each other to assemble the battery pack. . However, in this case, it is necessary that the member fixing units are coupled to each other according to the required output and capacity of the battery pack.

  Therefore, the need for a technique that fundamentally solves the above-described problems is very high.

  Accordingly, the present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems and other technical problems that have not yet been solved.

  In particular, an object of the present invention is to enable the manufacture of a structurally stable battery pack using a minimum number of members, and to short circuit between unit cells that may occur during assembly or use of the battery pack. It is an object of the present invention to provide a spacer for manufacturing a battery pack that can prevent the occurrence of the above.

  Another object of the present invention is to easily adjust the capacity and output of the battery pack, so that it can be cut into various appropriate sizes as the need arises, during charging and discharging of the unit cell. It is to provide a spacer for manufacturing a battery pack that can effectively remove heat generated from a unit cell.

  Still another object of the present invention is to provide a battery pack including the spacer.

  According to one aspect of the present invention, the above and other objects are spacers for manufacturing a battery pack using a cylindrical battery as a unit cell, the spacer being assembled in the form of a rectangular frame. The spacer is provided on opposite side surfaces (opposing surfaces) of a rectangular frame having a plurality of battery receiving members having a circumferential internal surface structure that partially covers the outer surface of the cylindrical battery. Each battery receiving member has a horizontal through hole extending between the opposite side surfaces of the frame, and a pair of battery receiving members (unit receiving members) formed on the opposite side surfaces of the frame It is characterized in that it is connected to another adjacent unit receiving member through a structure that can be cut into It can be accomplished by a spacer, providing.

  Preferably, the battery receiving member includes skirts that partially cover the upper and lower end surfaces of the unit cell at upper and lower ends thereof so that the unit cell can be stably fixed. In particular, the skirt protrudes in a structure corresponding to the shape of the outer circumferential surface of the upper and lower ends of the unit cell when the unit cell is received by the battery receiving member.

  The outer circumferential surfaces of the upper and lower end portions of the unit cell mean the upper and lower end surface surfaces of the circular cylindrical unit cell. The skirt is U-shaped (horse-shoe-shaped) along the outer circumferential surface of the circumferential type battery receiving member, preferably so that the circular upper and lower end surfaces of the cylindrical unit cell can be partially covered by the skirt. ). If a U-shaped skirt is used, the unit cell can be stably fixed and the electrode terminals formed on the upper and lower end surfaces of the unit cell are not covered. Therefore, when assembling the battery pack, the electrical connection between the unit cells can be easily performed.

  The skirt protrudes to fix the unit cell as described above. Therefore, the protrusion of the skirt is not particularly limited as long as the skirt can stably fix the unit cell.

  The battery receiving member is formed in a structure for partially covering the outer surface of the unit cell up to 50%, preferably 20 to 40% at the highest of the unit cell. Here, “the height of the unit cell” means the diameter of the unit cell in the cross section of the unit cell when the unit cell is cut perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the unit cell. In this structure, the battery receiving member serves to stably fix the cylindrical unit cell together with the skirt. In particular, the skirt prevents the movement of the unit cell in the longitudinal direction of the unit cell so as to fix the unit cell, and the battery receiving member is left and right (lateral) due to the structural characteristics of the cylindrical unit cell. The movement of the unit cell in the direction) is prevented to fix the unit cell.

  In a preferred example, the horizontal through hole can be formed through the frame in the intermediate member on the opposite side of each battery receiving member such that the horizontal through hole extends perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the unit cell. The horizontal through hole can be formed continuously in all connection areas of two adjacent battery receiving members on the same side of the frame. In this structure, the adjacent battery receiving members are separated from each other at the intermediate member, and the adjacent battery receiving members are connected to each other only at the upper and lower end portions of the horizontal through hole. Accordingly, when a plurality of unit cells are connected to each other using the spacer having the above-described structure according to the present invention, heat generated from the unit cells during charging / discharging of the unit cells or during operation of the unit cells. Can be effectively removed.

  As defined above, in the present specification, two battery receiving members adjacent to each other on opposite sides of the frame can be expressed as unit receiving members. One of the main features of the present invention is that it is easy to divide the unit receiving member as the need arises. In particular, the unit receiving members are connected to each other in a structure that can be easily cut.

  Therefore, the connection area of the unit receiving member is not particularly limited as long as the connection area of the unit receiving member is constructed with a structure that can be easily cut. In other words, various connection structures are possible. For example, the connection area of the unit receiving member can be constructed in a gate structure having a small width and a small thickness. More specifically, when the horizontal through holes are formed through the frame in the intermediate member on the opposite side of each battery receiving member, as in the preferred example described above, each unit receiving member is They can be interconnected by gate structures having a small width and a small thickness at the upper and lower ends.

  In a preferred example, the spacer may have a vertical through channel formed in a region where four adjacent battery receiving members meet on the same plane and opposite plane as the frame. A vertical thru channel consists of four circles so that the center of the circle is located at each corner (vertex) of the virtual square, and the circumference of each circle touches the circumference of the circle located at the adjacent corner of the square. When arranged, it can be regarded as a vacant space formed between four circles. Thus, the vertical through channel is formed in the middle of the upper end surface of the spacer along the battery receiving member. The vertical through channel is formed in a rhombus with four curved surfaces. The size and number of vertical through channels are determined according to the size and number of unit cells used.

  The spacer having the above structure may have a thermistor mounted in the vertical through channel to measure the temperature of the unit cell. Preferably, the vertical through channel communicates with a horizontal through hole. In this structure, it is preferable that the thermistor is located in a region where the vertical through-channel and the horizontal through-hole communicate with each other, whereby the thermistor can be easily mounted and obtained by providing the thermistor. The effect is maximized.

  Preferably, the spacer according to the invention is made of a highly electrically insulating, lightweight and high thermal resistance plastic material such as polycarbonate (PC) or polyacrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS). It is done. The spacer can be manufactured by, for example, injection molding.

  According to another aspect of the present invention, a battery pack including a spacer having the above-described structure is provided.

  The battery pack according to the present invention can be used in media equipment battery systems or large battery systems that require a combination of two or more batteries. For example, the battery pack according to the present invention can be used extensively in medium-sized devices such as laptop computers and large-sized devices such as electric vehicles and hybrid electric vehicles.

  Since the spacer according to the present invention can be cut to the required size as described above, the battery pack according to the present invention is flexible depending on the specifications (eg, output and capacity) of the equipment in which the battery pack is used. Can be manufactured.

  The battery pack can be manufactured, for example, by attaching a plurality of cylindrical batteries as unit cells to a predetermined frame member, while the cylindrical batteries are attached to opposite sides of the spacer. An example of the frame member is disclosed in Korean Patent Application No. 2005-0130423 filed in the name of the applicant of the present patent application. The disclosure of that patent application is incorporated herein by reference as fully described herein.

  The above and other objects, features and other advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

  Preferred embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. However, it should be noted that the scope of the invention is not limited by the illustrated embodiments.

  FIG. 1 is a perspective view showing a spacer for a battery pack product according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

  Referring to FIG. 1, a spacer 100 for a battery pack product is constructed in a rectangular frame form. Spacer 100 is provided on opposite sides thereof by battery receiving members 201, 202, 203 and 204. A battery receiving member is provided on the outer surface of each cylindrical unit cell so that a plurality of cylindrical unit cells (not shown) can be received by each battery receiving member 201, 202, 203, and 204. A corresponding circumferential structure is formed. Here, the inner periphery of the battery receiving members 201, 202, 203, and 204 has a size sufficient to partially cover the cylindrical unit cell.

  Skirts 300 and 400 are formed at upper and lower ends of the battery receiving member 200, respectively. The skirts 300 and 400 are constructed in a U-shaped plate structure extending along a semi-cylindrical circumference so that the upper and lower end surfaces of the unit cell are covered by the skirts 300 and 400, respectively. Therefore, the skirts 300 and 400 cover the upper and lower end surfaces of the unit cell so as to stably fix the unit cell. However, since the skirts 300 and 400 are constructed in a U-shaped structure, the unit cell electrode terminals are not covered by the skirts 300 and 400.

  A horizontal through hole 500 is formed in the contact area between two adjacent battery receiving members 201 and 203 on the same plane of the frame, and extends in the thickness direction of the spacer 100. A vertical through channel 600 is formed at the intersection of four adjacent battery receiving members 201, 203, 203, and 204 on the same and opposite planes of the frame and extends in the longitudinal direction of the spacer 100.

  Horizontal through hole 500 and vertical through channel 600 serve as fluid channels for coolants such as air. In particular, the vertical through channel 600 is used as a space for mounting a thermistor (not shown). The thermistor is mounted in a region where the horizontal through hole 500 and the vertical through channel 600 communicate with each other, thereby increasing the accuracy of temperature measurement of the unit cell. The structure of the horizontal through hole 500 and the vertical through channel 600 is shown in more detail in FIGS. 2 and 3, which are a plan view and a front view of the spacer 100.

  Two battery receiving members 201 and 202 formed on opposite sides of the frame constitute a unit receiving member 210. Each unit receiving member 210 and 230 is connected to each other by a gate structure 700 and is made to be easily cut. Each gate structure 700 is a plate-like structure having a small thickness and a small width. The gate structure 700 is formed on upper and lower members of the unit receiving member 210, which are separated from each other at a central portion of the unit receiving member 210. One unit receiving member 210 has two battery receiving members 201 and 202. Therefore, the number of gate structures connecting the two unit receiving members 210 and 230 is four. The gate structure 700 is shown in more detail in FIG. 4, which is a partially enlarged view, and FIG. 5, which is a front view of FIG.

  Further, the overall structure of the spacer 100 is shown in more detail in FIG. 6 which is a perspective view of the spacer 100.

  FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a battery pack constructed by mounting a cylindrical secondary battery on the spacer shown in FIG.

  Referring to FIG. 7, unit cells 800 and 801 are mounted side by side on opposite sides of the spacer 100. The skirts 300 and 400 formed at the upper and lower ends of the respective battery receiving members 200 partially cover the upper and lower end surfaces of the unit cell 800 so that the unit cell 800 can be stably mounted. cover. On the other hand, the skirts 300 and 400 cover the outer circumferential surface of the unit cell 800. As a result, the electrode terminal 810 of the unit cell 800 is exposed to the outside, and thereby the electrical connection between the unit cells can be easily performed.

  Apart from the mounting structure described above, most of the cylindrical battery 800 is exposed through the horizontal through hole 500. Therefore, air flows through the exposed space, so that heat generated from the unit cells 800 and 801 during charging / discharging of the unit cell can be easily removed. The thermistor (not shown) is mounted in a region where the horizontal through hole 500 and the vertical through channel 600 communicate with each other. Therefore, the temperature of four adjacent unit cells 800 can be measured using one thermistor.

  The connection area of the unit receiving members 210 and 230 is constructed in a gate structure that can be easily cut. Therefore, battery packs having various outputs and capacities can be manufactured using the spacer 100.

  While preferred embodiments of the present invention have been disclosed for purposes of illustration, those skilled in the art will recognize that various modifications, additions, and changes may be made without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the appended claims. It will be understood that alternatives are possible.

  As is apparent from the above description, the spacer according to the present invention has the effect of allowing the production of a structurally stable battery pack, using a minimum number of members, reducing the number of steps and thereby the product. Reduces costs and prevents the occurrence of short circuits between unit cells during battery pack assembly or use. Furthermore, the spacer according to the present invention can be cut into various suitable sizes as the need arises. Accordingly, the spacer according to the present invention has an effect of easily adjusting the capacity and output of the battery pack, and effectively removes heat generated from the unit cell during charging / discharging of the unit cell.

1 is a perspective view illustrating a spacer for manufacturing a battery pack according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a spacer for manufacturing the battery pack shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2 is a front view showing a spacer for manufacturing the battery pack shown in FIG. 1. It is an expansion perspective view which shows the connection structure between the unit receiving members of the spacer shown by FIG. FIG. 5 is a front view of FIG. 4. FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing a spacer for manufacturing the battery pack shown in FIG. 1. It is a perspective view which shows the cylindrical secondary battery attached to the spacer shown by FIG.

Explanation of symbols

100 Spacer 200 Battery receiving member 201, 202, 203, 204 Battery receiving member 210 Unit receiving member 300 Skirt 500 Horizontal through hole 600 Vertical through channel 700 Gate structure 800, 801 Unit cell (cylindrical battery)
810 Electrode terminal

Claims (10)

A spacer for manufacturing a battery pack using a cylindrical battery as a unit cell,
The spacer is assembled in the form of a rectangular frame, and the spacer is a rectangular frame having a plurality of battery receiving members having a circumferential type inner surface structure that partially covers the outer surface of the cylindrical battery. A pair of batteries provided on opposite sides (opposite sides), each battery receiving member having a horizontal through hole extending between the opposite sides of the frame, and formed on the opposite sides of the frame The receiving member (unit receiving member) is connected to another adjacent unit receiving member through a structure that can be cut relatively easily as compared with other regions, and the connection region of the unit receiving portion is space, wherein Rukoto constructed in gate structure having small width and a small thickness in comparison with other regions Over.   The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the battery receiving member includes skirts that partially cover the upper and lower end surfaces of the unit cell at upper and lower ends thereof.   The skirt protrudes in a structure for covering the upper and lower end surfaces of the unit cell along the outer circumferential shape of the unit cell when the unit cell is received by the battery receiving member. Item 3. The spacer according to Item 2.   The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the battery receiving member is formed in a structure for partially covering the outer surface of the unit cell up to 50% even if the height of the unit cell is high.   The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the horizontal through hole is formed through a frame in an intermediate member on an opposite side of each battery receiving member.   The spacer according to claim 5, wherein the horizontal through hole includes a gate structure that interconnects the unit receiving members at upper and lower ends thereof.   The spacer according to claim 1, wherein the spacer has a vertical through channel formed in a region where four adjacent battery receiving members of the unit receiving member meet. The spacer according to claim 7 , wherein the spacer comprises a thermistor mounted in the vertical through channel for measuring the temperature of the unit cell. The spacer according to claim 8 , wherein the vertical through channel communicates with a horizontal through hole, and the thermistor is located in a communication region between the vertical through channel and the horizontal through hole. A battery pack comprising the spacer according to claim 1 .

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